Thursday, November 17, 2016

Alan Moore's The Killing Joke: A Review

In short, yes I read comics and graphic novels. Full
disclosure, the combination of Watchmen
and V for Vendetta come off as not only
some the best written comics/graphic novels I have ever read, but also strong
pieces of literature in general. Alan Moore has a unique art for story telling
and he explores themes that can make the skin crawl and the mind ponder. In The Killing Joke he furthers this tradition
as he explores the never ending conflict between Batman and his nemesis: The Joker.

The comic, available in hardbound
form, follows Batman and his personal quest to understand first The Joker and
second the root of their classical battle of good versus evil. In the form of
the latter comes the truth—there are multiple references throughout the pages
to police work being done the right way, to Batman being on the right side of
the law. This conflict relates to the antihero status of the character—a man
who takes law enforcement into his own hands, and often breaks the law in doing
so. Even when faced with the unthinkable, Barbara Gordon paralyzed at The Joker’s
hands and her father naked and in the cage of an abandoned amusement park, Batman
must fight with himself. Does he attack and kill his enemy, or does he look for
an amicable solution?

Either way he wants to talk. This a mature Bruce Wayne, a
man ready to see life calm down. He wants to live and he wants The Joker to
survive as well. Rehabilitation is not only allowed but perhaps desirable. In
the course of the story arc, we see the exploration of these themes, moving
forward until we end with a single joke.